Thai court’s verdict on ex-PM scheduled for August 25 hinh anh 1Thai former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in front of the Supreme court in Bangkok (Photo: VNA)
 
 
Hanoi (VNA) Thailand’s Supreme Court has set August 25 as the date for a verdict in the trial of former Prime Minister (PM) Yingluck Shinawatra, who is accused of wasting billions of US dollar on a controversial rice-pledging scheme

If found guilty, Yingluck will face up to 10 years in prison and a seizure of assets worth 35 billion THB for the scheme’s losses.

The ex-PM attended the last hearing held on July 21. The court said she can make a closing statement on August 1.

The rice subsidy plan was a flagship election policy that helped Yingluck sweep to power in 2011. The rice-buying scheme paid farmers double market price for their rice and store as the government’s stockpiles across the country. 

The former PM was accused by the Constitutional Court for Constitutional violations and abuse of power in May 2014. In January 2015, the National Legislative Assembly charged Yingluck of negligence over her management of the rice programme and banned her from politics for five years. - VNA
VNA